Recipes Archives - The Loose Tea BlogThe Loose Tea Blog

October 22, 2020

Halloween Franken-Tea

Our new favorite Halloween treat with a few tricks! “When I looked around I saw and heard of none like me. Was I, then, a monster, a blot upon the earth from which all men fled and whom all men disowned?“ -Mary Shelley, Frankenstein Our NEW Mary Shelley Green Tea has arrived just in time for all of your spooky Halloween shenanigans. The Treat Tea was an essential part of Mary and Percy’s daily lives and it is recorded that they favored black tea that was sweetened. After learning of the plight of slaves on sugar cane plantations they boycotted sugar and, not liking unsweetened black tea, they switched to drinking plain green tea. Since there are no references to tea in Mary’s writings, the inspiration for this […]

July 24, 2020

National Tequila Day – Enjoy a TEA-quila Sunrise!

TEA-quila Sunrise Cocktail Whether you’re enjoying a nice dinner or relaxing poolside, a Tequila Sunrise is perfect for any occasion. The first version of the Tequila Sunrise originated in Arizona and is a perfect representation of the vibrant Southwestern skies. In honor of National Tequila Day, we’ve made a TEA-quila blend based on this classic tequila cocktail complemented by S&V herbal “tea.” This beverage not only turned out aesthetically pleasing, but also a delicious tropical treat! A classic tequila sunrise includes: Grenadine, Orange Juice, and Tequila Our “tea” twist was to substitute the grenadine for our Simpson & Vail Orange Cranberry Herbal Tisane and a bit of hibiscus to create a Simple Syrup. Simple Syrup Ingredients: 1/2 cup water 1/2 cup sugar 2 tbsp (t-sacs) of […]

July 20, 2020

Bubble Tea – The New Tea Drink Sensation

Over the past few years boba tea, also known as bubble tea or pearl milk tea, has rocketed into the global marketplace. Its popularity even garnered the attention of a large corporate doughnut chain who is proposing to add, and is testing, it as a new menu item here in the USA. So … What is Bubble Tea? Bubble Tea is named for the “boba” or tapioca pearls that gather after shaken in the bottom of a cold tea or juice drink. It can be a little confusing since “boba” can refer to the actual tapioca (cassava starch) pearls as well as the entire drink made with these balls. A basic cold drink recipe consists of black tea, milk, ice and tapioca pearls (aka boba). It is shaken, as if making a […]

June 8, 2020

Great Southern Sweet Tea Slush

If you are looking for the prefect summer party starter give this refreshing recipe a try! A delicious “secret” from the south is the Great Southern Sweet Tea Slush which we are sharing with you today. Sweet tea can be traced back to the 1800’s in the US and is firmly rooted in the South. In fact, every good Southerner has their “perfect” sweet tea recipe. Recipes vary from ones where you think you are drinking more sugar than tea, to others that incorporate wonderfully tasty fruits like peaches and strawberries. You can try this super easy process with other drinks as well. GREAT SOUTHERN SWEET TEA SLUSH Yields: 4 servings Ingredients: 6 cups sweet tea (homemade with one of Simpson and Vail’s fantastic Iced Teas, sweetened to […]

December 2, 2019

Roasted Chestnut Snowball Cookies & Holiday Tea Treats

Here’s a tasty recipe that will delight you and your guests this holiday season. We can’t believe how tasty these cookies are! Traditionally Snowball cookies are made with ground nuts, however, we added our new Roasted Chestnut herbal tisane to the butter in this recipe to create an incredible taste sensation! Try the recipe below or there are a few variations to try with this recipe. You can add nuts (almonds, walnuts, pecans…) either toasted or un-toasted and ground (1/2 – 1 cup) or add 1 cup of mini chocolate chips. These cookies are rolled in powdered sugar. We did roll them in powdered sugar, however, we also discovered that these cookies are scrumptious rolled in either a mixture of confectioner’s sugar & cinnamon or a mix […]

September 25, 2018

Fabulous Foods for Festive Fall Fetes

Do you love to bake? Or are you hopeless in the kitchen but still want the aromas and the praise for delivering festive Fall treats? Whatever level of kitchen prowess you possess, we’ve got you covered. Fabulous Foods First, for the baking from scratch folks, here are some links to recipes you can make to capture all the taste sensations associated with the Fall season. Tea Cakes, scones, pies and more! Fall Tea Cake Recipes This blog from foods52 features 10 tea cakes that are perfect for the Fall season. Pictured at left is their Chocolate Pumpkin Loaf. Try it with a China Yunnan tea like our Cangyuan organic black. Other recipes include: Cinnamon Scone Bread – try with our Colombian Tippy Organic Black Tea Brown Butter […]

November 8, 2017

Easy & Delicious Holiday Cookies (Part II)

We introduced you to Refrigerator Shortbread Holiday Cookies in our previous blog post, now here’s another great recipe that you can make ahead of time and bake as needed. It’s perfect for the busy holiday season and so unique and delectable your family and friends will truly be delighted! Matcha & Hibiscus Swirl Cookies Ingredients: 1 cup butter (softened) 1 cup sugar 2 eggs 1 tsp vanilla extract 3 cups flour ½ tsp baking powder ½ tsp Kosher salt 1 pkg. Vanilla Matcha powder 1 ½ Tbsp Hibiscus, ground Directions: Cream together the butter and sugar in large mixing bowl. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix. Next add the flour, baking powder and salt, and mix well. Split the dough in half and put in separate bowls. […]

February 8, 2017

Banana Bread with Caramel Walnut Shortbread Tea

I love banana bread. I don’t make it often, but I love it. Due to the infrequency of baking this treat I think I forget how yummy it is. That is until it comes out of the oven, onto my plate and into my mouth! I was so happy when I realized today that we had a couple of bananas that were a little past their prime. I decided to make this baking event into a blog post so I could have an excuse when my calorie conscious partner came home from work. He was not surprised when he was bowled over by the smell of fresh baked banana bread as he walked through the front door. His only comment “I thought you’d be baking. You seemed […]

October 25, 2016

Spice up your Fall Tea Parties

Autumn is here in all its glory and, personally, I couldn’t be happier! I find that the beginning of every season prompts me to declare that this is my favorite season. And this is Autumn is no different. We’re fortunate to live in the Northeast where the seasons are so clearly defined. As Summer is slowly fading away, I have very fond memories of the fun times and special adventures, but now it’s time to embrace the spectacular Fall foliage and the cooler temperatures while we prepare for, hopefully, a snowy Winter. I’ve been enjoying these warm Fall afternoons, sipping a cup of tea in the sunshine while I look at the distant trees and enjoy the colorful baskets of mums beside me. I hope you have […]

August 10, 2016

Making your own Herbal Bitters

It’s Summer and time for refreshing new beverages. Lately I’ve been interested in bitters and, while there are many options available commercially, I often can’t find them in my local stores. So I looked online for information on making herbal bitters. Are you looking to add a different dimension to your cocktails and iced beverages? Try making your own bitters! It’s fast and easy and the combinations are endless. You’ll need a funnel, a scale that can weigh small quantities (less than 1oz), high quality vodka or gin, high quality herbs, amber dropper bottles. That’s pretty much it. I found useful information about proportions of different herbs to use here. To start I thought I would take 6 different herbs and steep them individually to see which I liked […]